An hour to kill in Bayonne

[Gumba]

Hi, not sure how big the train station is at Bayonne; we have an hour to kill between trains, can anyone tell me about the infrastructure there, ie is there a cafe at the train station or one near by? We will be arriving in December so it would be nice to go somewhere warm between trains. Am the first to acknowledge this is a first world problem!!!!!

 

[Davey Boyd]

Quite a few good cafes/bars in the square right outside the entrance. You won't have a problem

Buen Camino
Davey

 

[Gumba]

Great news for us Davey, thanks for the reply.

 

[OzAnnie]

Hi, not sure how big the train station is at Bayonne; we have an hour to kill between trains, can anyone tell me about the infrastructure there, ie is there a cafe at the train station or one near by? We will be arriving in December so it would be nice to go somewhere warm between trains. Am the first to acknowledge this is a first world problem!!!!!

Hi Gumba
As Davey says.. you won’t have a problem near or at the station. The station isn’t huge though so you won’t get lost finding anything.
I was wondering what time you are getting your train to Sjpdp ?
If you are staying the night in Sjpdp and you have time ., find out when the following trains leave... there are usually a few per day. Reason being that Bayonne ‘main centre’ is a nice walk to get there - over a lovely bridge and the main centre is worthy of your time for a visit. Lovely cathedral too.

However ., that wasn’t your question,, just giving some other info

Buen camino.
I would love to be on camino in December ! Wow.

 

[Davey Boyd]

Hi Gumba
As Davey says.. you won’t have a problem near or at the station. The station isn’t huge though so you won’t get lost finding anything.
I was wondering what time you are getting your train to Sjpdp ?
If you are staying the night in Sjpdp and you have time ., find out when the following trains leave... there are usually a few per day. Reason being that Bayonne ‘main centre’ is a nice walk to get there - over a lovely bridge and the main centre is worthy of your time for a visit. Lovely cathedral too.

However ., that wasn’t your question,, just giving some other info

Buen camino.
I would love to be on camino in December ! Wow.

I agree with this! If you could catch a later train Bayonne is a stunning place to spend a few hours wandering around. The train station is very central too.

 

[Gumba]

I would love to explore Bayonne, Annie, unfortunately we wont have time. We are traveling on a Sunday and from what I can tell, one train arrives at SJPDP at around 4pm and the other at 10pm. We thought about staying overnight at Bayonne and getting an early train to SJPdP the next day. As we are only going as far as Valcarlos that first day we will have time to explore however, I would rather use this time to look around SJPDP as we didnt really see much on our first walk.

Edit to add, we will be pretty jetlagged at this stage and will want to be in bed by 7-8pm, especially our amazing children who have agreed to do this crazy walk for the second time!

 

[OzAnnie]

Gumba
You’ve got yourself sorted... I hadn’t realised you’d walked before. You’ll probably be back in France again with time to see Bayonne.
Lots of caminos

and yes ‘bed’ is the real draw card after the long- haul flight.

Buen Camino
Annie

 

[mspath]

...
Bayonne accomodation:
the simple
Hotel Monte Carlo is good inexpensive choice located opposite the rr station. Nice cafe and resto also. Here is their web .

 

[VNwalking]

And there is a nice place for baguette and pastries and sandwiches right across from the station (the red arrow):

 

[Gumba]

Still lots to learn, Annie. Last time we went through Bayonne there was a 10 min wait between trains so we didnt look beyond the platform! It is a shame that the great distance from Oz oftem means we dont have the luxury of time to explore

Thanks mspath. VNwalking - brilliant, exactly what I was hoping for.

 

[Felipe]

You can cross the bridge, and in the immediate confluence of the Adour and Nive rivers there are many cafes in a pleasant and picturesque place. This is just a 10 minutes walk from train station, or less.
And remember that Bayonne is the chocolate capital of France.

 

[Gumba]

And remember that Bayonne is the chocolate capital of France

Nooooooooooooooooo, I did not know this!! Thank you! And thanks for the info and map.

 

[Angelo]

Neither do I! ...About the Chocolates!

Stayed overnight at Bayonne in 2014. Lots of cafes next to the Train station. Close enough to spend a few minutes for a bite and drinks.

 

[OzAnnie]

...
Bayonne accomodation:
the simple
Hotel Monte Carlo is good inexpensive choice located opposite the rr station. Nice cafe and resto also. Here is their web .

Yes I agree Margaret.
I stayed there overnight too (after ) ‘returning’ from Sjpdp in 2016 .. (the end of my Le Puy Route.)

It’s comfortable and friendly. I had heard so much about Bayonne that I chose to stop there before heading to San Sebastián.
Your recommendations had been remembered when I saw the place.
Great to see you on forum..hope alls well with you.
Annie

 

[NorthernLight]

There is a Basque Museum in Bayonne that I keep hoping to visit.

There is a tiny bus that does a figure 8 loop around town (not on the train station side of the river) that you can ride for about €1.

If you need any gear, there is a men's & ladies' clothing shop near the cathedral that has a small selection, including walking sticks.

Bayonne was raided by Vikings in about 842-44. It was part of Aquitaine which became an English possession after Eleanor married Henry, and stayed 'English' until the end of the Hundred Years War. Like everywhere, it saw it's share of smugglers, war & peace, honest labour, romance, strife, famine & plenty.

You need more than an hour!

 

[c0484]

Hi, not sure how big the train station is at Bayonne; we have an hour to kill between trains, can anyone tell me about the infrastructure there, ie is there a cafe at the train station or one near by? We will be arriving in December so it would be nice to go somewhere warm between trains. Am the first to acknowledge this is a first world problem!!!!!

The station is small. Just relax there.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

In April of 2017, I elected to deal with my jet lag by staying two nights in Bayonne before going to SJPdP. I realize you only have an hour in between trains, Gumba, but for future reference Bayonne is a delightful city to walk in—friendly people, good food & drink, and the Nive River to enjoy. BTW, it is the same Nive River that flows through SJPdP. Buen Camino.

 

[Vanozza]

Hi, not sure how big the train station is at Bayonne; we have an hour to kill between trains, can anyone tell me about the infrastructure there, ie is there a cafe at the train station or one near by? We will be arriving in December so it would be nice to go somewhere warm between trains. Am the first to acknowledge this is a first world problem!!!!!

It’s a small station with a waiting room so you won’t be cold. Just relax and read your book!